KSPI: Import of 105,000 Pick-up Trucks Threatens Livelihoods of Tens of Thousands of Indonesian Workers
KSPI: Import of 105,000 Pick-up Trucks Threatens the Livelihoods of Tens of Thousands of Indonesian Workers
- VIVA/Andrew Tito
Jakarta, VIVA – The President of the Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI), Said Iqbal, stated that the plan to import 105,000 pick-up trucks from India has the potential to threaten the livelihoods of tens of thousands of workers in the national automotive industry.
He estimated that if the production of these 105,000 pick-up trucks were carried out domestically, it could help absorb at least 10,000 new workers within a period of 6 months to 1 year of production.
“If produced in Indonesia, it could absorb more than 10,000 workers. Not to mention the component and maintenance industries that would also be involved. The absorption of labour would be significant,” said Said in a statement, quoted on Wednesday, 25 February 2026.
According to him, the import of 105,000 pick-up trucks will cause the output production of domestic automotive factories to decrease, which could potentially lead to the reduction of employment contracts and layoffs.
“Our members in car manufacturers have come and conveyed this directly. There is a potential for layoffs because production output could decrease due to the import of 105,000 pick-ups from India,” said Said.
He added that KSPI and the Labour Party are asking the government to cancel the import plan and instead entrust it to automotive manufacturers that have factories or production facilities in the country.
Said added that several automotive manufacturers, such as Hino, Isuzu, Suzuki, Toyota, and Mitsubishi, have adequate technology and production capacity to meet the demand. If the price is a concern, he believes the government can negotiate the specifications.
“If the price is considered too high, the specifications can be adjusted. Automatic features can be made manual, and digital dashboards can be simplified. It’s just a matter of negotiation. Don’t import instead,” he said.
Previously, PT Agrinas Pangan Nusantara planned to import 105,000 pick-up trucks from India to support the operations of the “Merah Putih” village cooperatives.
The import consists of 35,000 units of 4x4 pick-up trucks produced by Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd (M&M), 35,000 units of 4x4 pick-ups from Tata Motors, and 35,000 units of six-wheeled trucks from the same manufacturer. The delivery of the vehicles will be carried out in stages throughout 2026.